The PET scan would show enhancement in any area that it covered and the spinal area was included in your Mother's scan. All these tests, MRI, PET, CT, Bone Scan see things in a different way. They are all valuable and at times are combined to get the optimum result. I can't see that the shaking would be related; especially if the Brain films were negative. This could be some entirely unrelated problem. It could be determined by Pathologic examination as to whether this is a recurrance or a new primary cancer. The only difference would be the part of treatment dealing with the ER/PR and Her2 positivity.Of course more information will come via Pathology after the surgery. Regards ....
The lymph nodes were biopsied and confirmed as cancer, I don't know if they could tell by the biopsy if it had the same characteristics of the cancer in the right breast. My mom has also had uncontrollable shaking in her left arm on occasions. They did a brain MRI and it came out clean. Could this just be stress or should they be checking for spinal mets? Would the PET scan have shown something on spine if it was there? (Scan was from bottom of skull to mid thighs). She hasn't had a bone scan, would that show anything that a PET scan wouldn't show? Thanks-
It could be either one of those things. A PET scan shows areas of increased enhancement but can't really diagnose cancer. This would have to be confirmed by Pathology examination of the nodes when they are removed. Unless a biopsy of the suspected nodes was done then one couldn't be certain that they had been invaded by the cancer. Triple negative isn't the best news but it isn't unusual. Was your mother's tumor 15 yrs. ago triple negative also ? Wishing your Mother a successful surgery and uneventful recovery. Regards ....